Regrooving tool



April 20, 1943. w. A. SMITH- REGROOVING TOOL Filed Ju1 y 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r a 0 0v Maj w m i i z 4 i .6 W. a I 2 5 i fi a fi W Y Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REGROOVING TOOL William A. Smith, Philadelphia, Pa. Application July 13, 1942, Serial No. 450,717

6 Claims. (CI. 7758) This invention relates to a tool for re-grooving annular grooves in a cylinder, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements, and combinations herein described and claimed.

In certain ignition timers now on the market, the breaker assembly is oscillatably supported by means of ball bearings operatively engaged in an annular groove formed upon the interior wall of the distributor body. The groove must be formed and maintained in proper concentric alignment with the operating shaft of the timer in order that the proper breaking period of the breaker assemblies will occur. Considerable wear of the groove occurs, as well as pitting of the metal defining the groove, which tends to produce an uneven oscillation of the breaker assembly, resulting in inefiicient operation of the motor with which the timer is associated. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel construction of cutter tool for properly reforming the groove of a timer housing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a grooving tool in which the cutter blade may be readily adjusted from a point exteriorly of the timer housing when positioned therewithin.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool of the character described, in which an adapter is provided so constructed that the tool may be operatively connected upon the regular shaft of the timer, or upon an auxiliary shaft when it is desired to reform a groove of a fully dismantled distributer housing, such as may be carried in stock of repair and service garages.

The groove of the timer housing is not positioned at the same vertical height of the housing, the position varying according to whether the timer is employed for a four, six, eight or twelve cylinder engine, and in order that the same tool may be adapted to meet the various positions of the groove, it is an object of the invention to provide means whereby the cutter may be adjustedv and secured for proper alignment of the groove.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section through a distributer housing showing my cutter installed,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cutter illustrating its mounting upon a distributer shaft,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the grooving tool,

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating installation of the tool in a stock distributer,

Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross section illustrating an automatic means for retracting the cutter blade.

Attention is first called to Figure 1, wherein there is shown formally a conventional construction of distributer housing I0 comprising a base portion II and. cylindrical casing I2. A distributer shaft I3 is revolubly mounted in the base I2 as is customary, for support of a governor base I4 and governor weight I5. The governor base and weight are shown and referred to only because these are the only parts which may remain in the housing when employing the regrooving tool. The weight I5 includes an upright sleeve I6 journalled on the distributer shaft, and normally carries the breaker cam l1 and rotor, the latter having been removed.

Reference is now made to Figure 2 of the drawings, for an understanding of the construction of the re-grooving tool, generally indicated at [8. An adapter I9 is employed, consisting of an elongated metallic body having a cylindrical bore 20 extending concentrically from a bore 2I of greater diameter, the latter opening upon an end of the body. The bore 28 terminates inward-.

1y of the opposite end of the body, and the body is there formed with a nut member 22, for rotating the body by means of a suitable wrench.

Upon the adapter I9 a collar 23 is provided having a fit to permit a sliding fit, so that the collar may be moved vertically of the body to a required position, where it may be rigidly secured to the body by means of a screw 24. The collar 23 carries a frame 25, which in the present instance is shown as an L-shaped member providing a base 26 at right angles to the frame. The frame 25 is welded or otherwise secured to the collar and preferably at a point diametrically opposite the set screw 24. At the upper end of the frame 25, an internally threaded sleeve 21 is secured, and at a point spaced above the base 26, a guide yoke 28 is fixed to the frame, the latter being angular in cross section, and receives a similarly shaped cam block 29.

The cam block 29 is adapted to be vertically adjusted, for a purpose presently to be explained, and as shown, adjustment is obtained by means of a screw 36. The threaded shank 3| of the screw is engaged in the threaded sleeve 21, the lower end of which is of reduced diameter as at 32, the latter terminating in a head 33. The cam block 29 is in vertical alignment with the shank 3| and has a bore 34 of a siZe to rotatably receive the head 33 therewithin. A small set screw 35 is carried in the cam block adapted to enter the groove formed between the shank and the head 33. From the construction described, it will be readily seen that by rotating the screw in a required direction, the cam block may be raised and lowered.

Upon the base 26, a cutter blade is slidably mounted, guided and retained in proper position by means of a yoke 37 rigidly fixed to the base. In order to prevent rotation of the tool, the latter is of angular shape in cross section and the yoke is correspondingly formed. The cutter is of a length to extend a substantial distance beyond the end of the base 26, the rear end thereof being in contacting engagementwith a cam face 33 formed at the lower end of the cam block. A set screw 39 carried by the yoke 31 and impinging upon the cutter, effects securement of the cutter in an adjusted position.

In the-form described, the tool is to be rigidly locked with the distributer shaft I 3 and sleeve 16 for rotation therewith, and this is accomplished in the provision of a set screw 46 engaged in a threaded aperture of the adapter 19, the screw extending into a cut-away portion 4| of the rotor support 42. The cut-away portion of the support ordinarily receives a tongue of the rotor so as to rotate therewith. In such cases where the collar 23 is adjusted to a low point on the adapter, the lower edge of the collar 23 is provided with a slot 43 which is brought into alignment with the screw 49 so as to permit access thereto. 7

In use of the. device, the distributer casing to be regrooved is supported in a vise, generally indicated at 44, the shaft l3 being free for rotary movement. The tool is presented to the rotor support 42 so as to seat in the bore 2| and the screw 46 is then tightened. It is now necessary to align the cutting tool 35 with the groove 45 of the casing and this is accomplished by loosening the screw 24 and raising or lowering the collar 23 which carries the cutting blade, until the blade registers with the groove. The collar 23 may now be lockedin position by tightening the screw 24. The set screw 39 having been previously loosened so that the blade 36 may slide upon the foot26, it is only necessary to rotate the screw in a direction to cause the shank 3! to move in a downward direction, which will cause a similar movement to the cam block 29. The cam face 38 will thus be caused to exert a lateral pressure to the rear end of the cutter blade with consequent movement of the cutting edge of the blade into'the groove. When proper adjustment ofthe blade has been attained, the set screw 39 is tightened'to secure the blade. The tool and shaft is now rotated by the use of any suitable wrench applied to the nut 22 of the adapter and the tool 35 is caused to travel along and cut the groove 45.

It should be noted thatall adjustments of the tool are exposed exteriorly of the distributer casing, permitting ready manipulation and that by reason of the camming action provided, a very accurate and fine adjustment of the cutting blade is made possible.

It'should be understood that it ispossible to remove the breaker cam I! andits associated rotor support, in which event the bore 2lwould be of such diameter asto not firmly seat the tool upon the shaft I 3. Such a possibility is illustrated in FigureZ; and by reference to this-figure it will be seen that the reduced portion of the shaft I3 is snugly engaged in the reduced bore 23, and thus the tool is properly supported.

It is necessary to adapt the tool for use on stock distributer housings in which there is no shaft upon which to mount the tool and in Figure 4, I have illustrated a means for effecting th re-grooving thereof. The tool employed is identical to that previously described, but in this instance, a shaft 4% is employed, of a diameter to fit the bore of the base H. In this instance, the shaft is held against rotation by means of a vise 61, and the base of the housing rests upon a collar 48 of the shaft. The upper end of the shaft has a reduced shaft portion 49 of a diameter to be revolubly supported in the bor 20 of the adapter, but a portion of the shaft proper may also extend into the bore 2|. The set screw 4!] secures the adapter to the shaft 4t. Adjustment of the cutter 36 is the same as befor described, but the cutting operation is effected by rotating the housing.

It may be found desirable to provide a means for retracting the cutting. tool after release of the set screw 39' and. in Figure 6, I havejillustrated such a means. The cutter 36 is mounted upon the foot 26 as before described, but upon one side thereof a pin 50 is provided and a tongue 5! is struck from the rear edge of the guide El. A tension spring 52 is anchored between the pin and tongu and obviously,v upon loosening of the set screw 2% the spring 52 will draw the cutter to a position outwardly of the groove of the distributer housing.

While I have shown and specifically described the cutting too], this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as myown" all .such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A re-grooving tool for distributer housings comprising an adapter constructed for securement to'the upper end of the distributer shaft, a collar on the adapter, a frame on the collar and carrying a cutter blade disposed at right angles to the wall of the housing of the distributer, and means movable in a plane parallel to the dis ributer shaft for elfecting lateral movement of the cutter blade.

2. The structure of ciaim 1 in which said collar, frame and cutter blade are longitudinally movable as a unit along said adapter. i

3. A cutting tool for cutting an annular groove in acylindrical housing, an adapter. having means for connection with a shaft concentrio with the housing, a collarslidable on said adapter, means for securing the collar in an ad'- justed position, the collar including a frame e'xtending parallel to the adapter, the frame having a rightflangular extension, a cutter blade on the extension and la'terailymovab-le, means movable in a plane parallel to the adapter and having operative engagement with the blade to impart lateral movement thereto, and means to lock said blade inadjustedpositions.

a. A cutter tool for'cutting'a'n annular groove in a cylindrical: housing, an adapter having means for connection with a shaft concentric with the housing, a collar slidable on said adapter, means for securing the collar in aniadjusted position, the collar including a frame extending parallel tothe adapter, the frame having a right angular extension, a guide on the frame, an internally threaded nut thereabove; a cam block reciprocablein the guide, a screw member in the nut having its lower end revolubly mounted in the upper end of the cam block, a guide on the right angularextension, a cutter blade laterally movable therethrough upon camming engagement between the cam block and the rear end of the cutter blade, means to secure the blade in adjusted position, and means for rotating the adapter.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which means are provided for retracting the cutter blade upon loosening of said means for securing the blade in adjusted position.

6. A re-grooving tool for distributor housings comprising an adapter constructed for securement to the upper end of a shaft concentric within th housing, said shaft having a reduced upper end, an adapter having aligned bores complemental to the shaft and reduced upper end, means for securing the adapter to the shaft, a collar on the adapter, a frame on the collar and carrying a cutter blade, disposed at right angles to the adapter and means movable in a plane parallel to the shaft for effecting lateral movement of the cutter blade.

WILLIAM A. SMITH. 

